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The last statement in Lawrence Cosentino’s story about the new Lansing City Market building is the phrase "history repeats itself." No need to time travel back to 1938 for that. One needs only look to the 1980s and the building of the Lansing Center on Michigan Avenue.

I was a reporter for the Lansing State Journal when the Lansing Center was built. Council members took the cheap way, saying they would spend the public’s money as if it were their own. Because the Council was afraid of big numbers, the Lansing Center was constructed without a kitchen. And, its skywalk was constructed without air conditioning. Later, both features were added at an expense greater than it would have cost if included in the original plans. That was not responsible. Spending public money for public good means thinking big because the public good is big.

As for the aesthetics: the new city market is a traditional shape. It looks similar to the central market buildings at Detroit’s Eastern Market, except theirs are brick. I’m not for holding a bake sale to add brick fascia. Let’s budget for it.

— ­Dedria A. Humphries Barker, Lansing

We should be congratulating ourselves as having the most stylish grain elevator in mid-Michigan!

This whole project was sold based on some very indistinct drawings that led us all to believe that the final market would have wispy turn-of-the-century ironwork, lots of glass and generally pleasant architecture. I opposed it at the time because it was too small and the parking plan made no sense at all. This thing looks at home in Shipshewana, Ind., as a flea market, and I feel duped. Look nearby at the Oldsmobile Stadium: not groundbreaking style, but livable, and not particularly expensive. Why could it not have been designed as harmlessly as that?

—Don From www.LansingCityPulse.com

On Houghton’s back taxes

The City Attorney should take a long look at the City Charter. I am beginning to wonder about our City and how things can be overlooked so badly. Why would one not pay taxes on their property? And food has nothing to do with it with the food drives we have had — she could’ve stood in line and received along with the rest of the people that have had to.

I am wondering what the more important priorities are at this point where we have a City Councilmember that can not get her priorities right. And how can she be right for the job Think about it voters. Bad choice you made for your ward. Should of kept Sandy Allen with experience and will stand up to the mayor for sure, and has proved herself.

— Old Gray Fox From www.LansingCityPulse.com

She will have a great future in politics. She certainly has turned this embarrassing, shameful situation right around and made herself into some sort of sympathetic every person. No doubt she’ll be reelected repeatedly by the lazy and foolish Lansing voters. Maybe the City Attorney should take a long hard look at the City Charter again, longstanding tradition notwithstanding: “eligible for office” is not the same as “taking office.”

— Torrance From www.LansingCityPulse.com

Tina sounds like a dingbat. I’m pretty sure that each candidate is asked if they owe any back taxes to the city.

(Belinda) Fitzpatrick was not allowed to run because she owed back taxes. She could not even have her name on the ballot. Did Belinda offer up the information or did the city or county clerk come up with the information?

I wonder where Tina will get the money to pay off the debt. Maybe a nice developer or a close local politician will be her sugar daddy.